Sergeant Durham was a member of the 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 15 June 1952.

Durham was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.